Method for gluing plastic labels on hydrorepellents containers by means of labelling apparatus for water based glues

ABSTRACT

Method for gluing plastic labels ( 15 ) formed of a film ( 12 ) of BI-oriented polypropylene covered on each from a layer of acrylic material ( 13, 14 ), to hydrorepellent containers by using application apparatus for water based glue paper labels; one of layers ( 13, 14 ) is printed by means of inks ( 16 ) for non absorbing materials, covered by a layer of overprinting paint ( 17 ).

DOMAIN OF THE TECHNIQUE

[0001] The present invention concerns a process allowing the application of plastic labels on hydrorepellent containers of the type, for example, made of plastic, metal or glass, by means of apparatus for sticking traditional labels for water based glues.

[0002] The process includes, further, that said labels be printed by means of inks for non absorbing supports, containing oxidising additives for their rapid drying which are stable when in contact with the water based glues.

PRIOR ART

[0003] The up-to-date processes for sticking paper labels to containers of various type use machines or apparatus which employ, generally, a so named “label reservoir”, constituted by ordered piles of overlaid and pre-cut label, suitably placed in means apt to contain them on the apparatus or sticking machines.

[0004] Within such machines or apparatus, the labels are taken from their reservoir by picking means and carried towards rolls wetted by glue and carousel provided with pads suitable to spread the glue, in example vinyl one, on the back of the label.

[0005] The glue is drawn from tanks which make the so named “glue reservoir” of the application machines or apparatus

[0006] The labels, wetted by glue, are then transported next the containers, onto which they are applied by mean of an application mechanism is generally constituted by pincers which take up the labels for laying down to the surface of the containers on which they have to be stuck.

[0007] On these machines or apparatus are also provided means acting as pads for making uniform the adhesion of the label to the container by means of a suitable pressure.

[0008] The said sort of apparatus for the application of labels arc denominated “wet type” or “water based type” vis-à-vis the apparatus and machines “dry type” which provide for the application of labels having on the rear side an adhesive (self-adhesive labels). In such a case the label reservoir is made of rolls of paper web with silicone on which the labels to be applied on the containers are precut.

[0009] Examples of machines and apparatus “dry type” are described in the documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,278,359 and 4,626,314.

[0010] From the industrial point of view, the apparatus “wet type” allow in respect to the “dry type” to the obtain limited costs and high speed of label application.

[0011] The basic material of the labels is paper of various characteristics. The printing of such label is made on the side at view, (where as the glue is applied on the rear side) according to the conventional techniques for sheets or rolls and the employed ink and printing techniques are of the traditional type.

[0012] The labels reservoir of the apparatus or machines of the “wet type” is, as aforesaid, normally made of pre-cut and pre-printed stacks of labels.

[0013] An available technique of the prior-art for the application of plastic labels to containers consists in adapting specific machines or apparatus of the “dry type”, while the labels are of the self-adhesive type.

[0014] Documents EP 0377384 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,771 describe the fundamental characteristics of said apparatus for the application of labels by means of a pressure on the container.

[0015] A further possibility for the application of plastic labels is made by winding stripes of a length superior to the diameter of the container on to which they are applied, whose end overlapping zones are glued by means of thermoplastic glues, as illustrated in FR 25003093 e U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,721.

[0016] Said labels are printed by offset techniques, or by flex or screen printing or, further, by typography in webs or sheets, whereas the cut of the labels is made by means of rotary or plane cutting machines.

[0017] With respect to the apparatus and machines of the wet type for the application of paper labels, the apparatus for self-adhesive labels suffer of the drawback of being of lower speed of application.

[0018] An additional drawback arises from the fact that, in case of self-adhesive labels, these must be prearranged on rolled webs of paper covered by silicone and wound on a core of card board, plastic or metal: further than the increased technical difficulty of manufacturing of the supporting material which must be sprayed with glue on one of his face, other costs are due either to the cost of the band with silicone and of the core, either to the problem of the disposal of their waste material; furthermore, the winding in rolls of said webs supporting the labels must be performed by special machines, whereas the labels used in apparatus of the wet type do not need any support and their winding on said bands is overcome.

[0019] A drawback of the winding stripes glued at their ends by thermoplasticity consists, instead, in the fact that for such an application is requested that the containers to which they are applied must be of a regular form (parallelepiped or cylindrical).

[0020] An other technique for the application of plastic labels to plastic containers is the so called “In Mould Labelling” (IML), which consists in positioning in advance the early printed plastic label in the moulds which give form to the containers; an example of such a process is disclosed in EP 0313400.

[0021] When the tube (parison) of melting plastic is pressed by the moulds, the label in contact with said tube by means of heat and pressure mixes within the plastic mass of the surface of the forming container, appearing eventually as a single item with the whole container. The production process of pre-labelled containers by means of the IML method has very high costs due to the fact that the moulds allow a low speed of manufacturing of container.

[0022] Furthermore, the application of the label at the interior of the would, beyond the slow down of the production, increases considerably the costs because of the consequent high rate of rejection.

[0023] An additional drawback of the IML is given by the fact that the labelling is physically incorporated within the external surface of the container and is therefore not removable: this fact makes not usable otherwise pre-labelled containers for different uses.

[0024] Another method of application of plastic labels on plastic, glass or metal containers is the one described in patent application WO 99/19412.

[0025] It consists in applying to a plastic label a layer of hydrophilic material, for example an acrylic one. WO 99/19412 describes thirty-eight examples of application of labels. In each of them it is changed the material of which the label is done, the type of hydrophilic material, the type of component that is used to activate the adhesion of the acrylic layer to the container. Among thirty-eight examples only four of them give good or excellent results and precisely examples 30,33, 36 and 37. Example 30 is done with a white (non-clear) label of polyethylene. Example 33 is done with a white (non-clear) label of polypropylene and examples 36 and 37 are done with clear labels of polypropylene.

[0026] In examples 30 and 36, labels are applied on containers of polyethylene and in examples 33 and 37 labels are applied on glass containers. Examples 30 and 33 use water to activate adhesion of the hydrophilic layer on the container. Example 36 uses a starch and styrene maleic anhydride based adhesive to glue the polypropylene label to a polyethylene container Example 37 uses a water resin based adhesive to glue the polypropylene label to a glass container.

[0027] The method described in WO 99/19412 presents difficulties in industrial application. Labels of a generic polypropylene are hardly machineable, labels with only a layer of acrilic material, on a unique face, loaded in well arranged piles, are not able to slip one on the other one. Adhesive to be applied must be chosen in function of the material of the container on which the label must be applied. Technician are obliged to review plants for applying labels for every type of material of which is fabricated each container and each label. Results are uncertain. The method described in WO 99/19412 is not applicable to traditional apparatus for paper labels.

[0028] It will appear clearer in the following how the present invention eliminates and overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks, making possible the application of plastic labels to hydrorepellent containers, the labels suitably conditioned and printed, by means of apparatus normally designed for paper labels for water based glues.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The present invention allows the use of machines and apparatus of the “wet type”, normally adopted for the application of paper labels with water based glues, for the application of plastic labels to hydrorepellent of metal, plastic or glass containers.

[0030] The invention is made possible by the combination of suitable treatment of the surface of o the plastic label in order to make them receptive either of inks containing oxidising additives for a quick drying either of water based glues.

[0031] The process of the invention provides also that the water based glue suitable to stick said labels to hydrorepellent containers have specific chemical-physical characteristics within well defined ranges.

[0032] The same process allows, obviously, the application of plastic labels to any container, independently from the material of which it is made, as for example cardboard or waxed cardboard, and of any shape.

[0033] According to the invention, by substituting the paper labels reservoir, with the plastic labels treated in accordance with the following description and the reservoir of water based glue, with a reservoir of glue made of a solution of resinous substances, containing a terpolymer, having a viscosity of (70,000±10,000) mPas and a pH of 5.5±1.5, while the dry residual must be within the range of (46±3)%, the apparatus or traditional machines for paper labels are made perfectly compatible with the plastic labels, which will be applied to the containers with the same process and at the same speed.

[0034] The advantages resulting by such a method, beyond the already aforementioned ones, are evident by the flexibility that said wet type apparatus and machines offer, said flexibility being the same as for plastic labels: it derives that with the same type of apparatus or machine operations which were before not compatible are made possible by means of the invention.

[0035] As already said, the use of wet-type machines and apparatus for the application of plastic label to hydrorepellent containers allow to:

[0036] Obtain high speed of application vis-a-vis the apparatus for self-adhesive labels;

[0037] Obtain a readiness and a reduction of costs of production of the labels, either for the absence of adhesive on one of the face, either for the absence of supports with silicone winded on a core of cardboard or metal, strongly more expensive than the labels without glue and stored in ordered pile.

[0038] Furthermore, by means of the method of the present invention it is possible to print the plastic film constituting the label on the side susceptible to be glued, in case of transparent labels: this improves the quality of the characteristics of the label because the printed side does not come in contact with the user or with external agents and therefore it resists to possible scratches and abrasions or chemical agents.

[0039] This characteristic takes an important place for containers of substances of a particular danger or value, for the printed side not being in contact with the outside avoids that the printed information of danger or indicating the content of particular substances be easily damaged, sometimes till to make them unreadable.

[0040] The invention is made possible by means of combination of operations as described in the following:

[0041] The plastic label is covered on both sides by an acrylic aqueous solution purged from Chlorine. Acrylic cover on both faces of label allow slipping of the labels put in piles, as well as gluing of them to hydrorepellent containers by means of water based glue; the basic film constituting the support of the label is made of polypropylene biaxially oriented.

[0042] Said support of biaxially oriented Polypropylene guaranties dimensional stability, homogeneous optical qualities, high breaking strength, higher machineability.

[0043] The two opposite layers of acrylic solution, suitably, dried and laminated, are ink receptive or water based adhesives receptive; in order to make the anchoring of ink on the acrylic layer it is necessary to use inks for non absorbing supports which are added with particular compounds of salts complex, which when in contact with the water base of the glue oxidise by freeing hydrogen.

[0044] The label so formed can be printed either on the face external to the container, or in case of transparent labels on the face to be glued.

[0045] On the face to be glued to the container the printing is performed by means of inks for non absorbing materials added with reactive dryers of the type known in commerce as Grafo Drier.

[0046] The printing by non absorbing inks added with salts complex, for example of the type known in commerce as Grafo Drier, which can be performed by various printing techniques on plastic by conventional or digital sort is subsequently covered by a protective overprinting water based paint, made of a dispersion of an acrylic polymer.

[0047] The overprinting paint avoids that the inks of the printed labels stacked in pile one over the other are removed or damaged. Said paint improves, also, the anchoring of the printed ink to the water based glue of the type used for the application of the label to the hydrorepellent containers.

[0048] The invention is better understood by means of figures, where:

[0049]FIG. 1 illustrates a typivcal wet type apparatus for applying paper labels by means of water based glues;

[0050]FIG. 2 illustrates the application process of plastic labels known as in Mould labelling;

[0051]FIG. 3 illustrates the characteristics of the plastic label used for embodying the method of the invention.

[0052] The apparatus (18) for the application of plastic labels by the in Mould Labelling comprises a pair (19) of accessories for the labelling in moulds which are used for positioning the labels (20) within the mould cavity (21) before that the two halves of the mould (22) clamps around the parison, so that the labels are thermally attached to the thermoplastic material forming the container (23).

[0053] Parison (24) are extruded from heads (25) for being blown into cavities (21) by means of pins (26) entering into orifices (27).

[0054] Whereas a typical apparatus of the wet type consists of a reservoir (1) of labels of paper therefrom the said label stored in ordered stacks arc extracted in succession.

[0055] By means of gluing spades (2) the labels come in contact with a gluing cylinder (3), which distributes the water based glue on the side to be stuck. A pincers arrangement (4) picks up the moistened labels to bring them to table (5) which supports the containers arranged on dishes (6) and thereon centred by means of centring tulips (7).

[0056] Once applied, the labels are further tensed by means of smoothing pads (8) in order to uniform the gluing to the container.

[0057] These apparatus are also equipped by additional devices for dating (9). The spades (2) belong to a carousel in oil bath (10).

[0058] The table (5) supporting the containers are provided with means for lubricating (11).

[0059] The plastic label (15) suitable for the method in object is made of a BI-oriented polypropylene layer (12) covered on each of its faces by an acrylic material (watery-acrylic solution) (13) (14).

[0060] The acrylic material has the double end of eliminating static electricity and favouring the anchoring of inks.

[0061] The label are, before to be placed in the reservoir (1), printed on the not glueable external side or, when transparent, on the side to be glued by means of inks (16) containing oxidising additives.

[0062] The printed side is future covered by a layer of overprinting paint (17) of the type above mentioned; so treated the label (15) is receptive of water based glues.

[0063] In order to perform the application of the label (15) to hydrorepellent container at a grade of adhesion equivalent to the self-adhesive labels it is necessary that the glue be a water resin based glue, containing a terpolymer, of a viscosity within the range of (70,000±10,000) mPas and of a pH of 5.5±1.5, while the dry residual must be in the range of (46±3)%.

[0064] Said glue will be spread without alteration of the apparatus by means of the gluing cylinder (3).

[0065] It is obvious that the claimed method is susceptible of various embodiments, either for what concern the labels printing or for their application to different type of containers, which might request adaptation of the application mechanical means.

[0066] Nevertheless, said adaptation cannot be made without adopting the inventive path of the present method. 

1. Method for gluing polypropylene labels covered on the side to be glued of a layer of acrylic material (13), to hydrorepellent containers by using application apparatus for water based glue paper labels characterised in that said method comprises in combination the operation of substitution of the paper labels reservoir with a plastic labels reservoir (15), said plastic labels being formed of a film (12) of BI-oriented polypropylene; said film (12) being covered on the other face by a second layer of acrylic material (14); one of said layers (13,14) of said acrylic material being printed by means of inks (16) for non absorbing materials, said inks (16) containing additives of oxidising compound salts; said printed layer being covered by a layer of overprinting paint (17), the overprinting paint being receptive of water based glues: and th operation of substitution of the reservoir of water based glues for paper of said apparatus with a reservoir containing water resin based glue, containing a terpolymer, having a viscosity of (70,000±10,000) mPas, a pH of 5.5±1.5 and a dry residual of (46±3)%.
 2. Method according to the preceding claim cbaracterised in that said plastic label (15) is opaque and the ink printing is effected on the outer face opposed to the face to be glued to said hydrorepellent container and said printed layer being covered by a layer of overprinting paint (17).
 3. Method according to claim characterised in that said plastic label (15) is transparent and the ink printing (16) is effected on the inner face to be glued to said hydrorepellent container or on the outer face opposed to the face to be glued to said container and said printed layer being covered by a layer of overprinting paint (17). 